Smart water coming to Europe

Brussels, Belgium --- (METERING.COM) --- October 9, 2013 - A new project Smartwater4Europe being undertaken by a consortium of 21 companies and organizations under the leadership of Dutch water company Vitens, could pave the way for smart water supply networks in Europe.

The 4-year project was recently awarded a €6 million grant from the European Commission.

The project has identified four test sites in France, the Netherlands, Spain and U.K., each with their own unique set of issues, including leakage control, water quality management, energy optimization and ageing pipe networks. The SmartWater4Europe consortium seeks to overcome these hurdles by developing and demonstrating an integrated solution for smart management of water distribution channels.

Other members of the consortium, which brings together public and private water operators, research organizations and technology providers, include Acconia Agua from Spain, Thames Water and the University of Sheffield in U.K., and the University of Science and Technologies of Lille.

The project has a total budget of €12 million.

Europe’s water supply networks – which extend to about 3.5 million km – have been estimated to require an annual investment of €20 billion to keep them up to date.